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When people ask me where I would travel if I could go anywhere in the world, my answer is always Ireland, hands down. I mean, oh.my.word, if these gorgeous images from Bondshots Photography don’t convince you of the magnificence and grandeur in the rolling hills of the Irish country, I don’t know what will. I know that when I see the train of this Maggie Sottero gown in that picturesque formal garden of Adare Manor with the real-life castle behind it, it’s all I can do not to hop on a plane and head straight for the Emerald Isle. See our most beautiful o’ galleries right here.

From Bondshots Photography… Doug and Gena traveled from one of the hottest, driest Texas summers on record to one of the rainiest summers Ireland has ever experienced for their destination wedding — but despite the downpour that day, nothing dampened their spirits or smiles. The bride and groom chose a very elegant venue, surrounded by medieval ruins and stonewalled gardens, and kept the event very intimate with only their closest family and friends in attendance. While the guys enjoyed a round of golf the morning of the wedding, the girls went puddle-jumping and relaxed in the beautiful Lady Caroline room. The ceremony, held in a gallery with soaring ceilings, stained glass and original woodwork, incorporated old Celtic traditions and blessings with music by an Irish singer and harpist. After celebrating with champagne and toasts, as Irish luck would have it, the rain stopped for 15 or 20 minutes so we could take a few outdoor shots in the garden. The evening came to a close with a cozy candlelit dinner in the library. The feel of the day was comfortable, familiar and other-worldly magical all at the same time.

From the Bride… From the very moment I met Doug, I knew he was special. I felt very lucky to have him as he taught me so many things about life and love. Early on, I started calling him my lucky charm as his nickname. He said he was lucky as well so he would call me Sham, short for Shamrock. He also called me his princess. We were at his step-sister’s wedding and as we were dancing, I told him that I loved him and was so lucky to have him in my life and he said, “I want to marry you someday.” And out of the blue, I said, “Marry me in Ireland.” It just came to me that Ireland was the only place in the world I knew that was beautiful, romantic, lucky and had both shamrocks and castles fit for a princess, and so it was. He proposed to me on December 24, 2011 and we agreed Ireland would be the location for our destination wedding. We chose Adare Manor with the help of Collette, our wedding planner, because it was a beautiful castle that was warm, cozy and absolutely amazing!